McCarthy: Chicago Gun Recovery Outpaces Other Cities

CHICAGO — More guns have been yanked off Chicago's streets this year than in any other American city, Supt. Garry McCarthy said Tuesday.

So far in 2013, police have taken 450 guns off the street, including about 150 in the past seven days, McCarthy said.

That far outpaces gun recoveries in New York and in Los Angeles, he said.

“When people talk about the violence in this city, there’s a direct correlation between the number of firearms reaching our streets and the number of homicides and shootings we have in the city,” he said.

The police department’s Calumet (5th) and Englewood (7th) districts have each taken in 54 guns. Together, that’s more firepower than was recovered in all of New York City — 99 guns through Sunday — in the first few weeks of the year.

“Two districts, more than the city of New York that’s three times the size of the city of Chicago. I’m sorry, a blind man could see it,” he said.

Chicago cops “are not better at getting guns off the street than New York City is. The fact is, there’s that many more. That’s really the point,” he added.

McCarthy, flanked by district commanders and patrol leaders at Chicago Police headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave., renewed his call for tighter gun laws, including a push for harsher illegal possession penalties and for requiring gun owners to report the loss, theft or transfer of a gun.